Season 0
Protagonist: Eddie Eckstein Season 0 Story Synopsis Episode 1- September, 1995 In the continuing rivalry between Simon Prince and Eddie Eckstein, Simon challenged Eddie to jump over The Bluff, Simon in his Maserati and Eddie on his Cougarbike, Freya (Named after but not to be mistaken for the goddess Freya). A crowd gathered and it turned into a large-scale party, people speculating on who would land first, the more ghoulish speculating on who would survive. The time came and Eddie and Simon both made the jump. In midair Eddie realized Simon's Maserati wasn't going to make it. He grabbed his hand at the last moment, saving him. In that moment the Cougarbike flew through time and space. Eddie and Simon looked around, Simon sputtering about the loss of his Maserati and failing to thank Eddie for saving him. As they walked, Prince said he recognized this place, it was New Orleans. He was drawn by some music that caused Eddie real anguish but to Prince was a lullaby of the gods. It was 'I Saw The Sign' by Ace of Bass. This, which Prince regarded as 'the music of the future' and some other clues, finally a newspaper, made them realize they had journeyed forward ten years into 1995. Eddie immediately became very concerned about the fate of music but was reassured slightly upon some listening in record stores to Metallica's Black Album and Soundgarden's Superunknown. (At this point details are fuzzy, I can't remember how Eddie met with and fought Seagal again, I remember he was on the Parish Sherrif's Department but just can't remember details of how they fought etc.) Skipping forward In a cafe, Eddie and Prince were walking out when suddenly out of nowhere an assassin plunged a dagger imbued with some deadly magic into Eddie's heart. As Eddie was dying he saw Simon Prince call out in distress and lunge at the attacker but the assassin cut his throat too. He woke walking a cold, windy road alongside Simon Prince and two tall, beautiful women that Eddie's metal-trained mind immediately recognized as Valkyries. They were brought into Valhalla, where Eddie was brought Mead and food and Simon complained at the lack of imported Belgian beer and hit on every single serving girl he encountered. They were less interested in serving him than in waiting on Eddie, which was a great surprise to Prince and -if he was honest- was also quite a surprise to Eddie too. Though when he worked it out it made sense: these were the mead-maidens of Valhalla, their interest was in serving great warriors. However magnificent Prince was, he was really more of a talker, at least for now. Eventually they were brought before Odin in the long hall of Asgard. He was a very forbidding, powerful figure who said that Eddie (The Aesir call him Magni) was the son of a traitor, Thor and should not have been brought to Valhalla. He said that for the crime of bringing a traitor's son to Valhalla, Freija the Valkyrie would be banished and cast down with Eddie into the realm of Hel, Asgard's underworld. Eddie tried to argue that Thor was no traitor and he himself had no ill will to Asgard or to Odin but Odin would not listen. Eddie and Freija were cast down at Odin's command. They were separated from Simon Prince, found themselves walking through the fields of Hel. It was a cold, dark place of misery and damnation. They walked hand in hand to keep track of and guide one another, making their way across the frozen wastes for what seemed like days and probably was. They were attacked by large spiders the size of wolfhounds, Eddie the Arachnophobe struggled to keep it together but Freija's calm presence by his side helped immeasurably. They fought the spiders, slaying all who came at them. Weary from battle they continued on, but a stranger, louder, slower chittering could be heard in the distance. When they saw it, Eddie almost froze to the spot. He later had trouble remembering if it was an old woman's body with a spider's head, or a spider with the head of an old woman. Thinking about it later, he thought it was probably both at once, in the manner of gods. It was Hel herself ruler of this underworld realm. Gigantic, the spider was the size of a volkswagen. Eddie and Freija ran, taking refuge in a cave with a narrow opening, the spider-god trying to follow them, briefly poking its head in to the cave. In that moment Eddie summoned all his strength and courage and howling his defiance of the fear Hel caused, he took Freija's spear and put it through Hel's eye. Though at this time a god could not truly be killed, Hel was for now dead. Eddie and Freija travelled on, eventually meeting Simon Prince as they approached the valley of judgement, realm of Tyr, norse god of Justice. The valley was long and desolate, leading to a set of seemingly endless steps with some kind of hall at the top. They began walking, Freija explaining the significance of the place. She said if they could survive the journey through the valley of judgement, they would meet Tyr at the top of those steps. As they walked, Simon Prince began to cry out as though in agony. He began confessing crimes and sins, having his maid deported for refusing him a blow job, various other and similarly unsavoury crimes. He wept as they walked, his feet heavy, struggling. Eddie and Freija walked with greater ease but kept pace with Simon, urging him on. Finally they reached the steps, climbing to the top. In the simple structure Eddie found a hawk-eyed, one-handed man sitting at a table playing chess by himself. His severe gaze turned on Eddie, after a moment he invited him to sit. Eddie sat, quietly hoping Tyr wouldn't ask him to play chess, he was a terrible, terrible chess player. Tyr recognized him as the son of Thor and seemed even to know why he was here. He said Thor's imprisonment for betrayal of Odin was unjust and he suspected the hand of Loki in this matter. He said the king's mind was clouded by Loki's deception and if Eddie could clear it, Justice may be served. Tyr showed Eddie the way back up to Asgard and Eddie left with thanks, also silently thankful that there was no chess requirement to the encounter. Eddie, Freija and Simon Prince returned to the hall of Asgard to surprised gasps. Odin began to thunder at them, Eddie tried to relate their adventures and their findings, but Odin would not listen. Eddie then struck a power chord on his guitar, lying discarded from when he'd been cast down to the realm of Hel. The power of the sound gave everyone pause, but Eddie did not pause. He began to play, on the spot composing a rousing 17 minute epic called The Battle For Asgard. All present were spellbound, under the power of Eddie's aspect as The God of Metal. The song's truth spoke to them all. Odin's wife spoke in his ear to ignore, even as Odin let Eddie speak this time, telling him that Loki had used magic to deceive Odin. Odin turned and suddenly it was Loki standing there, he had used illusion to disguise himself. Odin cast Loki down to the underworld this time and released Thor. Father and son were finally reunited, though Thor could not go to Earth. Eddie remained in Asgard for a little while, the norse god of smithing forged Eddie a new guitar, The Axe. It was part battleaxe part guitar, with the help of Eddie's metal control in its forging it was nigh-indestructible, harder than titanium. Odin refused to reinstate Freija, letting her banishment stand. She returned to earth with Simon Prince and Eddie Eckstein, from then on being introduced as Eddie's cousin, Freija Eckstein. Back to Metalverse Seasons